Distributed ferromagnetic enhanced inductive plasma source for plasma processing

New experimental data on the plasma density profiles have been obtained for a low-frequency (100 kHz) distributed ferromagnetic enhanced inductive plasma source at different locations of inductive discharges. An ability to control the plasma density profiles in a large gas discharge chamber in order to achieve a uniform treatment of a substrate is demonstrated. The differences between the obtained results and literature data for a distributed ferromagnetic enhanced inductive plasma source combined with a radio-frequency inductive discharge are discussed.

Diagnosis and Treatment of Myeloproliferative Neoplasms With PCM1-JAK2 Rearrangement: Case Report and Literature Review

Myeloproliferative neoplasm (MPN) with PCM1-JAK2 rearrangement is a rare disease with poor prognosis and lacks uniform treatment guidelines. Several studies confirmed the efficacy of ruxolitinib in hematological malignancies with PCM1-JAK2 fusion, but the efficacy is variable. Here, we report two patients diagnosed with MPN with PCM1-JAK2 fusion who were treated with ruxolitinib-based regimen, including the first case of ruxolitinib combined with pegylated interferon (Peg-IFN), and we conduct a literature review. We found that ruxolitinib combined with Peg-IFN is an effective treatment option in the case of poor efficacy of ruxolitinib monotherapy.

Current and Prospective Treatment of Adenomyosis

(1) Background: Adenomyosis is a poorly understood entity which makes it difficult to standardize treatment. In this paper we review and compare the currently approved medical and surgical treatments of adenomyosis and present the evidence behind them. (2) Methods: A PubMed search was conducted to identify papers related to the different treatments of adenomyosis. The search was limited to the English language. Articles were divided into medical and surgical treatments. (3) Results: Several treatment options have been studied and were found to be effective in the treatment of adenomyosis. (4) Conclusions: Further randomized controlled trials are needed to compare treatment modalities and establish a uniform treatment algorithm for adenomyosis.

Personalized Law and Equal Protection

This chapter examines personalized law from the perspective of the Equal Protection Clause in the United States Constitution. Some classifications of people, when made for the purpose of differentiated treatment, are subject to stifling doctrinal constraints. Could such classifications be made under personalized law? The chapter argues that personalized law mitigates the constitutional concerns relating to suspect classifications. Treating people as individuals, using multi-attribute data-weighed tailoring, and not as identical members in a certain class, is permissible because members of the class are not singled out for class-specific uniform treatment. The chapter examines landmark Supreme Court cases on sex and race classifications, showing that the limits set by the Court and the narrow permission it granted for some uses of classifications, all fit well within a scheme of personalized law. In addition, the chapter examines problems of unintended disparate impact that could arise under personalized law, and demonstrates the unique advantage of the algorithmic methods fueling personalized law in reducing and eliminating such effects.

Uniform Treatment of Jensen’s Inequality by Montgomery Identity

We generalize Jensen’s integral inequality for real Stieltjes measure by using Montgomery identity under the effect of n − convex functions; also, we give different versions of Jensen’s discrete inequality along with its converses for real weights. As an application, we give generalized variants of Hermite–Hadamard inequality. Montgomery identity has a great importance as many inequalities can be obtained from Montgomery identity in q − calculus and fractional integrals. Also, we give applications in information theory for our obtained results, especially for Zipf and Hybrid Zipf–Mandelbrot entropies.

Long-term outcomes after endoscopic treatment for Barrett’s neoplasia with radiofrequency ablation ± endoscopic resection: results from the national Dutch database in a 10-year period

ObjectiveRadiofrequency ablation (RFA)±endoscopic resection (ER) is the preferred treatment for early neoplasia in Barrett’s oesophagus (BE). We aimed to report short-term and long-term outcomes for all 1384 patients treated in the Netherlands (NL) from 2008 to 2018, with uniform treatment and follow-up (FU) in a centralised setting.DesignEndoscopic therapy for early BE neoplasia in NL is centralised in nine expert centres with specifically trained endoscopists and pathologists that adhere to a joint protocol. Prospectively collected data are registered in a uniform database. Patients with low/high-grade dysplasia or low-risk cancer, were treated by ER of visible lesions followed by trimonthly RFA sessions of any residual BE until complete eradication of BE (CE-BE). Patients with ER alone were not included.ResultsAfter ER (62% of cases; 43% low-risk cancers) and median 1 circumferential and 2 focal RFA (p25-p75 0–1; 1–2) per patient, CE-BE was achieved in 94% (1270/1348). Adverse events occurred in 21% (268/1386), most commonly oesophageal stenosis (15%), all were managed endoscopically. A total of 1154 patients with CE-BE were analysed for long-term outcomes. During median 43 months (22–69) and 4 endoscopies (1–5), 38 patients developed dysplastic recurrence (3%, annual recurrence risk 1%), all were detected as endoscopically visible abnormalities. Random biopsies from a normal appearing cardia showed intestinal metaplasia (IM) in 14% and neoplasia in 0%. A finding of IM in the cardia was reproduced during further FU in only 33%, none progressed to neoplasia. Frequent FU visits in the first year of FU were not associated with recurrence risk.ConclusionIn a setting of centralised care, RFA±ER is effective for eradication of Barrett’s related neoplasia and has remarkably low rates of dysplastic recurrence. Our data support more lenient FU intervals, with emphasis on careful endoscopic inspection. Random biopsies from neosquamous epithelium and cardia are of questionable value.Netherlands trial register numberNL7039.

Organizational Foundations

This chapter details the first of the three-year term of the Committee on Information from 1950 to 1952. It elaborates how activists were bypassing the Committee on Information and making their case in the Fourth Committee, where their numerical superiority afforded them power that they could not achieve on the balanced Committee on Information. It also describes the recommendatory nature of activists that allowed the administering states to ignore them without penalty, although the General Assembly had approved a number of measures for accountability by the end of 1952. The chapter highlights proponents of a more robust UN role in the Chapter XI territories that advanced a variety of proposals to effect more uniform treatment of the dependent territories, which eroded administering state authority. It mentions the UN role in the nontrust dependent territories that had expanded beyond the confines set in the Charter.

A prospective observational study on efficacy of serial low dose infusion of rituximab (500 mg) on patients of pemphigus

<p class="abstract"><strong>Background:</strong> Rituximab (RTX) is a chimeric anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody being increasingly used in management of pemphigus. Various studies show a lack of any uniform treatment protocol. The objective of the study was to assess the effectiveness of RTX in patients of pemphigus receiving serial low doses of RTX (500 mg; maximum of 4 doses; 2 weeks apart).</p><p class="abstract"><strong>Methods: </strong>It was a prospective observational review of 40 pemphigus patients to assess the proportion of patients achieving complete remission after serially receiving low dose RTX, time and number of doses required to achieve complete remission (CR), proportion of patients who responded partially or didn’t respond or relapsed after achieving CR. Additionally, the study was done to find whether a correlation existed between age, gender, and site of lesion and RTX administration.</p><p class="abstract"><strong>Results: </strong>40 pemphigus patients followed up for a mean duration (MD) of 174.15±95.67 days received 4 doses of RTX (500 mg) irrespective of the disease activity 0.30 (75%) attained CR on therapy with ≥3 doses of RTX 500 mg (MD= 76.39±34.45 days) and azathioprine 100 mg/day. No patients relapsed after 4 doses while 3 (7.5%) patients didn’t respond. Oral lesions and pemphigus vulgaris took more time for achieving CR.</p><p class="abstract"><strong>Conclusion: </strong>While we reinforce the idea of using more than 3 doses of RTX 500 mg in a view to achieve prolonged remission we promote considering usage of a more cost-effective drug like azathioprine for maintaining remission especially in a poor remote tertiary center in India with limited resources. Immunological assays were not performed limiting the study.</p>